“Rumors” as the Newest Censorship Tool
If you read this NYT article, you will immediately see an incredibly severe attack of lack of curiosity. An Irish riot was caused by "rumors" that three Irish children and an Irish woman were wounded by an Algerian migrant wielding a knife. An excerpt from this NYT article:
Soon after three children and a woman were wounded in a knife attack outside a Dublin school on Thursday, rumors about the perpetrator’s nationality began to proliferate online.
The Garda Síochána, the Irish police force, declined to comment on the background of the suspect, who was taken into custody after being tackled to the ground by bystanders. The police said only that he is a man in his 50s.
The NYT repeatedly discusses the "rumors" and "unconfirmed reports" without answering a simple obvious question: Was the attacker an Algerian migrant? This information would seemingly be simple to figure out and it is central to the story that a "riot" ensued and included people carrying banners reading "Irish Lives Matters." The NYT bluntly claims that these protestors were part of "anti-immigration and far-right groups."
Again, was the assailant an Algerian migrant? Also, what is the basis for calling the protestors "anti-immigration" and "far right"? Are they truly opposed to all immigration? On what basis are the on the "right" (and see this recent post on the myth of left and right politics).
Until the NYT takes the time to answer whether the assailant is an Algerian migrant, how can the NYT conclude that this idea is a "rumor." Mike Benz has the answer: Calling real facts and real concerns "rumors" is the most recent tactic for censorship. The bad people in this story are the Irish people concerned with safety. They need to be censored:
What is the long term solution for the very real problem that Irish people are concerned about immigration policies that lead to violence? Those Irish people need to be censored. The Irish Government is not wasting any time to enact emergency legislation:
The Washington Post used a similar tactic, as skewered by this tweet: